Nonwoven abrasive articles generally have a nonwoven fiber web (e.g., a lofty open fiber web), abrasive particles, and a binder material (commonly termed a “binder”) that bonds the fibers to each other and secures the abrasive particles to the fiber web. Examples of nonwoven abrasive articles include nonwoven abrasive hand pads such as those marketed by 3M Company of Saint Paul, Minn. under the trade designation “SCOTCH-BRITE”. Other examples of abrasive articles include convolute abrasive wheels and unitary abrasive wheels. Nonwoven abrasive wheels typically have abrasive particles distributed through layers of nonwoven fiber web bonded together with a binder material that bonds layers of nonwoven fiber web together, and likewise bonds the abrasive particles to the nonwoven fiber web. For example, unitary abrasive wheels have individual discs of nonwoven fiber web arranged in a parallel fashion to form a cylinder having a hollow axial core. Alternatively, convolute abrasive wheels have nonwoven fiber web spirally disposed and affixed to a core member.